The Weinstein Company
Bill Murray is basically playing Royal Tenenbaum in the new film St. Vincent, and it's as spectacular as any Royal Tenenbaum fan might expect it to be.
See what we mean? It's basically this scene, but for a whole movie:
Throw in a little Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd and Naomi Watts (who just played Diana, Princess of Wales) as a woman of the night, and you have a possibly epic production. St. Vincent hits theatres October 24, 2014.
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Roadside Attractions
Believe it or not, two of your favorite Saturday Night Live alumni are playing—gasp!—dramatic roles. Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader play estranged siblings who reunite after ten years. There's clearly some heavy stuff at work in their relationship, but The Skeleton Twins will deliver plenty of laughs too. The first trailer has just been released and it looks fantastic. Plus, Luke Wilson!
The Skeleton Twins will hit theatres on September 19th.
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Splash News
Jake Gyllenhaal has a big year ahead of him. His second film with French-Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve (Enemy) had a lot of critics talking last month, and he's got some exciting upcoming projects as well. A movie with David O. Russell, another one with The Bourne Supremacy screenwriter Dan Gilroy, and one exciting venture that a lot of people are actually furious about (if you can imagine a world where people are furious about something Jake Gyllenhaal is doing).
The Oscar-nominated actor is, apparently, trying his hand at high theory. Columbia University is launching its installment of The Year of James Baldwin and they've enlisted Gyllenhaal and Colm Toíbín, and Irish writer and literary critic, as speakers on the subject. As people saw this news flashing across their Facebook feeds, a collective "Huh?" was emitted, followed by some real anger. What does Jake Gyllenhaal have to do with James Baldwin? Part of the concern was linked to the issue of race, which is indeed a relevant issue here — as a giant in black literature and an author born during the Harlem Renaissance, it's relevant to question a celebration of his work that begins with a white American actor and an Irish author. But the outrage wasn't just related to race, and the response inspires another question: Can people accept celebrities as intellectuals?
It seems that we connoisseurs of pop culture like our celebrities to stay in their lanes — frivolous drama, yacht parties, hot messery. And many of them fit the bill. But what happens when one surprises us and starts voicing political opinions, or tries out literary and cultural theory? People tend to get judgmental, going so far as to assume that celebrities, like Gyllenhaal, couldn't possibly have anything to contribute to an intellectual conversation.
Granted, certain actors have a little more leeway in the legitimacy department. Gyllenhaal speaking on Baldwin probably induced fewer eye-rolls than the Miley Cyrus college course (and the fact that she wasn't even directly involved with the class tells us that there's a general distate for all things that seek to link the celebrity world with academia). But pop culture fans and members of academia would likely benefit from a more accepting stance. The intellectual community could become more inclusive in terms of content (without losing whatever high-brow, exclusivity it may rightfully hold dear), and the celebrity world could expand into other areas, allowing both fans and stars to broaden their horizons. Ultimately, a meshing of the two worlds could inspire a wide variety of possibilities, some of which might prove to be truly fascinating.
You can learn more about the upcoming Columbia talk featuring Gyllenhaal and Toíbín here.
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NBC Universal Media
If you've been watching NBC's Grimm for the past few years, then you're no stranger to creepy, nightmare-inducing monsters that make you want to run, hide, and sleep with the lights on. Grimm has always been good for that. But there must be something in the water at the Grimm writer headquarters because this season's wesen (and other monsters) are on some next level stuff. They are officially the show's most horrific, unpleasant, disturbing creations yet... and we don't know whether that's a good or a bad thing. Here are the top five most horrifying things we've seen Nick, Hank, Monroe, and Rosalee come up against so far in Season 3.
5. Naiads
These mermaid-like wesen are actually gorgeous... that is, until they've stayed out of the water too long and their skin starts to shed. This season’s “One Night Stand" taught us that water nymphs can be pretty gross, especially when you get a closer look at those neck gills.
4. Anubis
The ancient Egyptian mummies and tombs have always been completely fascinating and quite beautiful, until this season's "Once We Were Gods" episode reminded us of the major creep-factor at work here. The Anubis are dog-like wesen who are very protective of their history, which is admirable, but they're also so creepy to look at! The hairless body and that snout? No thanks.
3. El Cucuys
El Cucuy wesen mean well. They're actually vigilante wesen, and they only kill bad guys. But the fact that the first one we met this season was old enough to be a grandma made the beast all the more frightful. Grandma cucuy's advanced age didn't stop her from tearing those criminals to pieces. Sure, she kept the neighborhood safe, but those sounds of her hunting her prey, then slashing them to bits? Yes, those will haunt your dreams.
2. Wildesheers
It's all very Silence of the Lambs when the Wildesheer are in town. They scalp the strongest men around, then they make pretty little coats out of the hair they collect. Buffalo Bill would be proud, but we're just terrified. Every shot we saw of these guys (also known as Berzerkers) in "The Wild Hunt" episode was absolutely cringe-worthy, because there's really nothing worse than watching someone get scalped.
1. Aswangs
Scratch that. There is something worse than watching someone get scalped. Enter, the fetus-eating wesen from hell. Here's hoping nobody watching the "Mommy Dearest" episode was anywhere near their third trimester, because seeing this beast plunge its tongue into the belly of pregnant women feast on her unborn baby? Absolutely, without a doubt, the number one most disturbing wesen of the season. We love Grimm, but it may get difficult to watch this show if anything more horrifying than the Aswangs show up.
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Focus Features via Everett Collection
If you watched the pilot episode of Alfonso Cuarón's highly anticipated new series Believe, you might be thinking that filmmakers should stick to the big screen. Forever. But the Gravity director still has time to convince people that Believe isn't the worst show ever. There's something exciting about a brilliant filmmaker taking on a television series, so here are five fantasy projects from some amazing directors who should definitely come to the small screen.
Terrence Malick
The day that Terrence Malick comes to the Sundance Channel with a television series developed from his The New World script will be a great day for us all. A mini-series about Pocahontas and/or her progeny? Yes, please.
Kathryn Bigelow
Back in 2010 her Broadway-inspired show The Miraculous Year was rejected by HBO, but it's time for Bigelow to get back out there. Considering the nature of many of her films (Zero Dark Thirty, Hurt Locker), people might be surprised to know that she's also an accomplished painter. It'd be great to see her team back up with Jessica Chastain for some kind of artsy period piece set in the 70s, when she was studying art with some of the best.
Tim Story
Now that he and Kevin Hart are proven box-office gold (Think Like a Man, Ride Along), this could be a great time for the duo to bring it to the small screen. Throw in a little Tracy Morgan (Story also produced First Sunday) and voila! Best show ever.
Guillaume Canet
This year he released his first English-language film (Blood Ties) and we can only imagine what a series (perhaps another crime drama) directed by him and starring him would look like (it'd probably look awesome... and really hot). Oh, and obviously his flawless significant other and frequent collaborator Marion Cotillard would be on board.
Miranda July
It's been forever since Me and You and Everyone We Know, but those two little boys deserve their own spinoff series. And the world is just a better place when July is creating things.
Wes Anderson
There's no real pitch here. It's just that some of us want to watch something, anything, by Wes Anderson every single week for the rest of our lives. Starring Bill Murray and Gene Hackman as two patriarchs who live next door to each other? Jason Schwartzman doing odd-jobs? Whatever. Who cares about the plot? It would be amazing!
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NBC Universal Media
Now that Seth Meyers has exited from Saturday Night Live, the search has begun in earnest to see who is "next." After all, the show has proven to be the launching pad for some of the biggest names in Hollywood both in movies and television.
Over the last few years, longtime cast members like Kristen Wiig, Andy Samberg, Fred Armisen, Will Forte, Jason Sudeikis, and Bill Hader preceded Meyers out the door, leaving a void that the show is still trying to fill. One thing we've learned over the year, however, is not to underestimate producer Lorne Michaels' eye for talent. So, who is SNL's next big star?
Taran Killam
Mr. Colbie Smulders has been on the show since 2010 but was behind a crowded group of male performers that could do many of the same things until the last two seasons. Tall and good looking, Killam's impressions are normally of various pretentious male celebrities, from Brad Pitt to Robin Thicke to, most recently, Matthew McConaughey. A veteran of The Groundlings, Killam seems also to have hit upon a strong recurring character with 1860s critic Jebediah Atkinson, who originally appeared on Weekend Update to explain why he panned the Gettysburg Address and has since popped up to offer his scathing opinions of holiday specials and the Oscar nominees for Best Picture. It's taken a little while, but Killam is finally starting to stick out in the audience's minds.
Kate McKinnon
McKinnon took the torch from Wiig as the female cast member that doesn’t mind going gonzo. Her impressions of Justin Bieber and Ellen DeGeneres bristle with a manic energy that hints at her barely contained glee at what she's doing. She's also has become the go-to for Weekend Update guests, whether as a Russian peasant trying to make money off of the Sochi Olympics or as a Connecticut soccer mom that doesn’t think Grand Theft Auto is violent enough. She's been heralded for being the show's first lesbian cast member (she was on The Big Gay Sketch Show prior to SNL), but her sexual orientation is completely secondary to her talent. In a short amount of time, she's made a strong impression on viewers and critics alike with her fearlessness.
Cecily Strong
Strong has a little bit of Amy Poehler in her, which is never a bad thing. She may look nothing like the former SNL standout, but she matches her in diversity. A Chicago native and Second City veteran, she is equally adept at delivering timely quips behind the Weekend Update desk as she is playing self-absorbed teen Kyra, host of Girlfriends Talk Show. Like McKinnon, she started with the show in 2012 and has quickly made a name for herself. It's not too far-fetched to think that after her run on the show that Strong will end up doing a sitcom, just like... well, you know.
Jay Pharoah
Pharoah is criminally overlooked when it comes to the current SNL cast. Like Killam, he's been with the show since 2010, but he's still only 26 years old. Besides doing President Barack Obama, Pharoah basically ends up playing any black male celebrity that longtime cast member Kenan Thompson can't. He also normally gets called upon to rap or sing (his take on Ylvis' "What Does the Fox Say?" with Kerry Washington was one of this season's highlights) any time that the writers can fit it in. Pharoah was outspoken on the need for the show to add an female African-American cast member, so he's not just happy to be on the show. He might end up being one of those performers whose career really takes off after he leaves SNL and everyone forgets that he cut his teeth there.
Vanessa Bayer
Aidy Bryant is more polarizing, and Bobby Moynihan and Thompson have been around longer, but what Bayer has is consistency. She's taken over where Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer as the female cast member called upon to fill the suburban housewives and soccer moms. She's not a one-trick pony, though. Her Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy is one of the show's only standing recurring characters and her Miley Cyrus impression was funny enough to earn her a shot at doing it alongside the real thing when she hosted. Bayer is a dark horse candidate to become the show's next big star, but she's talented enough that all it would take is one buzz-worthy role outside of the show to change people's perception of her.
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DreamWorks
For the bulk of every Rocky and Bullwinkle episode, moose and squirrel would engage in high concept escapades that satirized geopolitics, contemporary cinema, and the very fabrics of the human condition. With all of that to work with, there's no excuse for why the pair and their Soviet nemeses haven't gotten a decent movie adaptation. But the ingenious Mr. Peabody and his faithful boy Sherman are another story, intercut between Rocky and Bullwinkle segments to teach kids brief history lessons and toss in a nearly lethal dose of puns. Their stories and relationship were much simpler, which means that bringing their shtick to the big screen would entail a lot more invention — always risky when you're dealing with precious material.
For the most part, Mr. Peabody &amp; Sherman handles the regeneration of its heroes aptly, allowing for emotionally substance in their unique father-son relationship and all the difficulties inherent therein. The story is no subtle metaphor for the difficulties surrounding gay adoption, with society decreeing that a dog, no matter how hyper-intelligent, cannot be a suitable father. The central plot has Peabody hosting a party for a disapproving child services agent and the parents of a young girl with whom 7-year-old Sherman had a schoolyard spat, all in order to prove himself a suitable dad. Of course, the WABAC comes into play when the tots take it for a spin, forcing Peabody to rush to their rescue.
Getting down to personals, we also see the left brain-heavy Peabody struggle with being father Sherman deserves. The bulk of the emotional marks are hit as we learn just how much Peabody cares for Sherman, and just how hard it has been to accept that his only family is growing up and changing.
DreamWorks
But more successful than the new is the film's handling of the old — the material that Peabody and Sherman purists will adore. They travel back in time via the WABAC Machine to Ancient Egypt, the Renaissance, and the Trojan War, and 18th Century France, explaining the cultural backdrop and historical significance of the settings and characters they happen upon, all with that irreverent (but no longer racist) flare that the old cartoons enjoyed. And oh... the puns.
Mr. Peabody &amp; Sherman is a f**king treasure trove of some of the most amazingly bad puns in recent cinema. This effort alone will leave you in awe.
The film does unravel in its final act, bringing the science-fiction of time travel a little too close to the forefront and dropping the ball on a good deal of its emotional groundwork. What seemed to be substantial building blocks do not pay off in the way we might, as scholars of animated family cinema, have anticipated, leaving the movie with an unfinished feeling.
But all in all, it's a bright, compassionate, reasonably educational, and occasionally funny if not altogether worthy tribute to an old favorite. And since we don't have our own WABAC machine to return to a time of regularly scheduled Peabody and Sherman cartoons, this will do okay for now.
If nothing else, it's worth your time for the puns.
3/5
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Getty Images
Okay, we get it. Barack Obama is the first ever "pop culture president." Bill Clinton was cool, with his saxophone and all that, but Obama is in another league. There was that photo of him with kid Spider-Man that went viral, the fact that he kicks it with Jay Z and Beyoncé on a regular basis, and his wife is BFF with one of the biggest stars on television, Kerry Washington. Many of us love this about Obama and love the idea of having a very cool POTUS. But this mid-February tweet he sent out about House of Cards season two is a little weird.
Tomorrow: @HouseOfCards. No spoilers, please.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 13, 2014
We get it. House of Cards is insane, and addictive, and everyone is loving it. But isn't it a little awkward knowing that the president has time to, well, watch Netflix? With everything going on in the world, isn't it a little strange to know that right now — at this very moment — he could be sitting back and enjoying a good ol' fashioned binge-watch? It'd be like knowing he was in a bathroom somewhere taking hella selfies... like, 20 in a row until he got the perfect shot. Or knowing that he was just on Facebook, clicking on all of his friends' random links and watching the latest viral videos for 45 minutes. Weird.
Obviously, the president is a normal guy and he deserves some down time, but there's a part of us that wants to be left in the dark about those times. We get that he probably takes a nap here and there, we just don't want evidence of it on Twitter.
And then there's the subject matter of the show — political scandal and ruthlessness abound in the series, so there's that added layer of awkwardness. President Obama even (jokingly... maybe...) expressed his support for protagonist Frank Underwood, the vengeful, opportunistic congressman played by Kevin Spacey: "This guy’s getting a lot of stuff done... I wish things were that ruthlessly efficient."
Again, this is a very cool take on the series! But is it, dare we ask, too cool? Is Obama officially too cool to be the president?
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Bill Gray / Samuel Goldwyn
Sam Rockwell and Olivia Wilde are totally breaking Biggie's fourth Crack Commandment: never get high on your own supply. But thankfully, it's just for their new movie, Better Living Through Chemistry. Rockwell plays a good-guy pharmacist who has a solution (usually, prescription drugs) for everyone's problems, but his personal life leaves much to be desired. Things start getting a little nuts when Wilde's character introduces him to, well, the wilde side. In the trailer she greets him with this: "You're just one of those authentically nice guys, aren't you?" and you just know she's going to do everything in her power to change that. Good times, good times.
The truth is, it's a familiar role for Wilde, but she plays the naughty sex kitten so well (remember Butter?) that it still suits her for now. And while we're not sure what Ray Liotta will be doing in the film, we're excited about it because it's Ray Liotta and he can do no wrong.
Better Living Through Chemistry hits theatres March 14, 2014.
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Miramax via Everett Collection
If you are a Quentin Tarantino fan, then you have been having a pretty rough couple of weeks. After learning about his upcoming film -- another western called The Hateful Eight -- you probably started fantasizing about the cast. Then you started dreaming about how the movie would ultimately look, and wondering if it would be better than Django. It probaby wouldn't be, but you'd still love it sooo much. And then the script leaked to the interwebs. And before you even got the chance to check it out, Tarantino himself came out and shut your whole world down. He ranted about the leak, and announced that he would not be making the film. Ever. Sure, he'll make other films. But we have still suffered a great loss. And we must console ourselves with a collection of epic fight scenes from past Tarantino works, as we think of what could have been.
The Bride vs. Elle Driver, Kill Bill Vol. 2
Now, truth be told, every fight scene in Kill Bill belongs on this list (including the unforgettable Crazy 88 madness). But we have to start by reliving the magic of Beatrix and Elle. Pai Mei would have been proud, and the Bride proved that she was the definition of giving zero effs when she lit'rally stepped on Elle's plucked-out eye. BAREFOOT! #dropsmic
Mr. Blonde vs. Mr. Orange, Reservoir Dogs
Because nobody does an ear-hacking/torture scene like the great Tarantino. Nobody.The Bride vs. O-ren Ishii, Kill Bill Vol. 1
You know you wanted to have an epic sword fight in the snow after you saw this scene. Just, maybe, minus the scalping bit. Because ... ouch!Jules Winnfield vs. Brad, Pulp Fiction
Samuel L. Jackson deserves an Oscar for this scene, specifically for his delivery of the line, "Do they speak English in What?" Like, he deserves an Oscar this year. Right now. We don't care that Pulp Fiction is 20 years old. Just get him the Oscar. Give him all the Oscars.Mandingo vs. Mandingo, Django Unchained
If your dreams haven't been haunted by Mandingo Fighters from a little place called Candyland, then you probably don't own a copy a of Django Unchained. Get your life. And yes, these kinds of things did actually take place. Only in America.Mr. Pink vs. All of Humanity, Reservoir Dogs
It may not have been a violent fight scene, but the tipping debate has gone down in history as the greatest moral argument ever to be captured on film. Ever.#SteveBuschemiIsEverything
The Bride vs. The Coffin, Kill Bill Vol. 2
Because sometimes your enemy is three inches in front of you.
Zoë Bell, Abernathy, and Kim vs. Stuntman Mike, Deathproof
Not sure there's a better ending to any film, ever, anywhere.
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